faith be the meere gift of God it can be no reason of difference betweene the Elect and Reprobate on the part of the Elect and Reprobate why the one should bee chosen and the other refused for the Elect haue it not of themselues and the Reprobate haue it not at all because it is not giuen To referre election in this sense to faith as it is Gods meere gift is to make election to depend vpon Gods meere will who giueth faith to some and not to others which quite ouerthroweth the foundation of Arminianisme If they meane that fore-seene faith is in part or in whole a Worke of mans free-will by nature and not meerely a gift of God then their opinion dasheth directly on the rocke of Pelagius that Grace is giuen according to some merit of man that is as Saint Augustine expoundeth it De bono perseuer c. 19. Some good thought word or deed or the good will it selfe to receiue grace and faith when otherwise man might haue reiected or repelled it whereas the Apostle teacheth that it is God which discerneth one man from another that no man hath any good thing different froÌ„ another which he hath not receiued 1 Cor. 4. 7. Whereupon Saint Augustine concludeth in his Epistle to Sixtus and in his booke of Predestination of Saints Chap. 5. And in his Enchiridion ad Laurent cap. 99. That which putteth a difference betweene a beleeuer and vnbeleeuer making him to beleeue and not the other is a speciall grace giuen by God to the one and not the other and consequently that the separation of some men and taking them out of the masse of perdition is of Gods meere grace and not in regard of any different qualities in men A proud man might haue said saith that holy Father of Predestination of Saints chap. 5. against another man my faith maketh me to differ from thee my righteousnesse or the like which insolent words of a proud man rehearsed by Saint Augustine Greuinchouius is so impudent as to take vpon and patterne in himselfe saying Ego me discerno I discerne my selfe The good Doctor meeting with such thoughts and checking them saith What hast thou that thou hast not receiued from whom but from him who made thee differ from another to whom he hath not giuen that he hath giuen to thee and if thou hast receiued it namely that wherein thou differest from another Why doest thou boast as if thou hadst not receiued it Nothing is so contrary to the meaning of the Apostle as that any man should so glory of his owne merits or good workes as if he had wrought them to himselfe and not the grace of God to wit that grace of God which discerneth good men from bad not that which is common to good men and bad The maine conclusion of Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion is most direct to our purpose Sola gratia redemptos discernit à perditis Grace alone discerneth or differenceth the redeemed from the lost whom a common cause deriued from the beginning or root had vnited in one masse of perdition k This argument from disproportion deceiued sometime Saint Augustine till he better considered of the words of the Apostle Rom. 11. 5. So then there remaineth a remnant according to the election of grace It is impossible indeed to conceiue an election according to desert of some rather than others in a meere paritie there must needs be a disproportion in such an election but in an election of free grace there needs none there can be no such disproportion for if election be of workes then it is not of grace Here if the Appealer or any his friend shall difference his opinion from the Arminians by distinguishing the decree of election in which there is no respect had to faith from the execution in which all sides confesse respect is had to faith and perseuerance I answer that the Appealer hath shut the doore of this Sanctuary against himselfe and debarred himselfe from this defence pag. 61. saying I shall as I can briefly and plainly without scholasticall obscurities set downe what I conceiue of this Act of God or decree of Predestination setting by all execution of purpose After which Preface without any interruption of other discourse he deliuereth his opinion of election as is aboue rehearsed Of Free-will ARMINIANS THe Arminians differ from Orthodoxal Diuines about Free-will in two points 1. They teach Hag. Confer pag. 502. sequent That the will of man hath some operation of it selfe in the first act of our conuersion and doth cooperate with grace God giueth grace sufficient to conuert but doth not so determine the will but that it may out of it's freedome admit grace or not Their main reason is God doth not beleeue but wee therefore l we worke euen in our first conuersion otherwise the assent should bee Gods not ours 2. They teach that the will of man hath power to hinder and resist the worke of grace in his regeneration and conuersion Arminius in his Orat. to the States pag. 53. I beleeue according to the Scriptures that grace is not vis irresistibilis an irresistible force or power but that many doe m resist the holy Spirit Hag. Confer pag. 502. The question is whether grace which worketh in man faith and conuersion cannot be hindred but is an irresistible operation such as God vseth in raising the dead They alledge to proue â—hat man may resist grace Act. 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies n resisted the holy Ghost And Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I haue gathered your Children as a Hen gathereth her Chicken vnder her wings and yee o would not APPEALER APpeal p. 84. It is supposed by some that the difference betweene the Pontificians and vs consists in this that the will of man concurreth and cooperateth with diuine grace in the first very instant and point of conuersion wee teach that the will of man doth not cooperate in the first point but in progresse of our iustification so Keckerman in his Systeme a better Logician than Diuine This Assertion of Keckerman he refelleth from pag. 85. to 89. and pag. 92. he insisteth vpoÌ„ the same reason with the Arminians If this were not so then faith and repentance were no the actions of man neither could man be said to beleeue and repent but the holy Spirit Appeale pag. 89. The Councell of Trent addeth that a man may resist the grace of God admit then first man hath m free-will against God Saint Steuen in terminis hath the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you n resist nay fall crosse with the holy Ghost not suffering him to work the worke of grace in you And what said our Sauiour How often would I and thou wouldst o not If the Councell meant of stirring preuenting and p operating grace I thinke no man will deny it if of adiuuant subsequent and cooperating grace there is without question in
the naturall will of a regenerate man so much of Adam remaining and carnall concupiscence as may make him resist and rebell against the Law of God l We answer with Saint Augustine in his first booke De gratiâ libero arbit cap. 16. It is certaine that we will when we will but he makes vs to will that is good of whom it is said Pro. 8. The will is prepared by God and God worketh in vs to will Philip. 2. It is certaine that we work when we worke but he worketh in vs to worke by giuing most efficacious power to the will who saith I will make you to walke in my waies Ezek. 36. Faith and repentance are our workes because in vs though not of vs actions and passions denominate the subiect not the cause God is the efficient cause of faith and repentance but the subiect in which these vertues are wrought is man who therfore is said to beleeue and repent because these things are wrought in him but not by the power of his own will but by the effectuall worke of grace stirring the will and making it freely to assent vnto and beleeue the Gospell Bernard de lib. Arbit What doth free-will I answer in one word it is saued or cured this worke cannot bee done without two one by whom the other in whom it is wrought God is the Author of it the health or cure of the will free-will is only capable of it m Grace is two-fold Outward Inward Outward Offered in the ministery of the Word Inward Enlightning and inciting only Renewing and regenerating Men can and do resist outward and inward only enlightning grace but not renewing and regenerating grace so far as to hinder their conuersion or after they are cōuerted vtterly to cast away the spirit of sanctification and thereby fall away totally finally If God should giue no other grace but such as man at his pleasure might reiect or repell hee should haue no kingdome within vs and if he could not by his grace absolutely subdue and conquer the stubbornesse of mans will he should not be omnipotent If grace doth not determine mans will but mans will the influxe and effect of it the peace and grace of God should not rule in our hearts but euery man should be ruled to righteousnesse as well as to sinne by his owne free-will which was the expresse heresie of Pelagius and Caelestius as Prosper in precise termes sets it downe in his Chronicle in the yeare of our Lord 414. n To the place in the Acts I answer First That Saint Steuen speaketh of the Iewes resisting the Spirit of Prophecie not the Spirit of regeneration the Iewes gain-said withstood and opposed the Word of the holy Ghost vttered by the Prophets not the secret working of the holy Ghost by grace in the hearts of such whom he would and did conuert Secondly We confesse that men vncircumcised in heart such as were these Iewes whom Saint Steuen vpbraideth not only can resist but can doe no other then resist the holy Ghost but regenerating grace by circumcising the heart remoueth that hardnesse whereby it resisteth grace and then it cannot resist because that which makes it resist is taken away as Saint Augustine inferreth vpon that of Ezechiel the eleuenth I will take away your stony-hearts and giue you an heart of flesh His inference is Chap. 8. of Predestination of Saints This grace which is secretly conueighed into the hearts of men is not refused or repelled by any hard heart for it is therefore giuen that the hardnesse of the heart may first be taken away o Not to insist vpon the distinction of the double will of God well knowne to the learned by the notions of signi beneplaciti his commanding or declaratiue will which is not alwaies fulfilled and his powerfully working and absolute good will and pleasure which is alwaies fulfilled I further answer that this place of Scripture rightly interpreted as it is by Saint Augustine makes against and no way for the Arminians and Appealer for Christ saith not How often would I haue gathered you Scribes and Pharises and those Rulers and Gouernours of Ierusalem which killed my Prophets and you would not but how often would I haue gathered your Children that is the inhabitants of Ierusalem and I did also though you would not but did what you could to hinder their gathering vnder my wings that is their assembling to the true Church and sheltring themselues vnder the shade thereof Quos volui te nolente congregaui Whom I would gather I gathered though thou wouldst not So Saint Augustine vpon these words p If by operating grace hee meaneth that grace whereby God circumciseth the heart Deut. 30. openeth the heart Acts 16. conuerteth the heart Ierem. 31. taketh away a stony heart Ezek. 36. writeth his Law in the heart Ierem. 31. worketh faith in the heart by the mightinesse of his power Eph. 1. and 2 Thess. 1. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man I suppose who is well catechised in the principles of Religion will maintaine that such grace may be resisted For this were to make the impotencie of mans will to preuaile against the omnipotencie of God and to disappoint his purpose and frustrate his worke Saint Augustine that Delian diuer into the depth of this mystery resolueth the contrary in many places in his booke of Predestination of Saints Chap. 8. Why doth he complaine sithence no man doth or can resist his will Doth the Apostle answer O man it is false that thou sayest No he saith no such thing But who art thou O man that answerest God And de Corrept Gratiâ cap. 12. The weaknesse of mans will is helped in such sort that it is led by diuine grace indeclinably and vnconquerably insuperabiliter ageretur and what is vnconquerably lesse then irresistibly if grace vnconquerably lead the will the will cannot conquer grace in striuing against it And Chap. 14. ibidem No will of man resisteth God when God will saue And hee confirmeth his Assertion with a reason prouing that the will of man neither doth nor can resist the will of God for saith he To will and to nill are so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth that it can neither hinder Gods will nor conquer his power And in his first booke of questions to Symplician 2. Quest. The effect of Gods mercy cannot be in mans power to frustrate it if he list or that God should haue mercy in vaine if man would not take hold of it because if God would haue mercy on those who are reluctant and withstand it he could so call them as it might befit them that is be effectuall vnto them Saint Bernard in his booke of Free-will followeth Saint Augustine close There is made a creation of the will by Christ into liberty and that without vs if into then not out of liberty or freedome of will if without vs then it is not in our Power to hinder
If any say that iustifying faith is nothing else but a confident relying on Gods mercy forgiuing our sinnes by Christ or that this confidence is the only faith whereby we are iustified let him be accursed Ib. c. 16 If any say or beleeue that hee shall certainly haue by absolute and infallible certainty the great gift of perseuerance to the end vnlesse he know and haue learned it by speciall reuelation let him be accursed Appealer ANsw. to Gag pag. 186. If we consider our own disposition wee assigne no more then probable and coniecturall assurance This Bellarmine assigneth this is enough Faction may transport a man to wrangle for more but when once they ioyne issues the difference will not bee much Much or little great or smal thus or so the Church of England is not touched that assigneth it neither Appeale page 213. I professe I am not of that opinion with you and whatsoeuer you may resolue for your crying Abba Father secundum praesentem justitiam I craue pardon I cannot thinke that you are may or can bee so perswaded secundum statum futurum Discord Church of Engl. HOmily of the passion p. 186. What meanes is that It is faith not an inconstant or wauering faith but a sure stedfast grounded and vnfained faith Pag. 187. The only meanes and instrument of saluation required of our parts is faith that is to say a sure trust and confidence in the merits of God whereby we perswade our selues that God both hath and will forgiue vs our sins and that hee hath accepted vs again into his fauour that he hath released vs from the bonds of damnation and receiued vs into the number of his elect people Et post Wee must take heed that wee doe not halt with GOD through an inconstant and wauering faith but that it be strong and stedfast to our liues end Wee must apprehend the merits of Christs death and passion by faith nothing doubting but that Christ by his owne oblâ—tion and once offering himselfe on the Crosse hath taken away our sinnes and restored vs againe into Gods fauour The point of Perseuerance hath such affinity with this point of assurance of saluation that what is wanting in this may be supplyed out of the former Parallel Al that I here obserue is that the Appealer fully accordeth with the Councell of Trent not only in the conclusion but in the very reason alleadged by the Councell for the ground thereof Of the Popes Primacy Harmony Church of Rome IN the forme of oath prescribed in the Bul of Pius 4 annext to the CouÌ„cell of Trent I acknowledge the holy Catholicke and Apostolicke Church of Rome to be the Mother and Mistresse of all Churches and I vow and sweare true obedience to the Bishop of Rome the successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles Vicar of Iesus Christ. Bellarmin de Romano Pontif. lib. 4. c. 1. The Pope is supreame Iudge in coÌ„trouersies of faith and manners Appealer ANsw. to Gag p. 29. I could interpret S. Anselm well enough as that if a controuersie were referred by the Church or an heresie to bee corrected in the Church which touched the case of the Catholicke Church it could not be put ouer more â—itly to any one man by the Church representatiue in a Councell then vnto the Pope first Bishop of Christendome of greatest not absolute power among Bishops Discord Church of England HOm. for Whitsunday second part pag. 214. 215. First as touching that they will bee termed vniuersall Bishops Heads of all Christian Churches through the world wee haue the iudgement of Gregory expresly against them who writing to Mauritius the Emperour condemned Iohn Bishop of Constantinople in that behalf calling him the Prince of pride Lucifers successor and the forerunner of Antichrist S. Bernard agreeing thereunto saith What greater pride can there bee then that one man should preferre his owne iudgement before the whole congregation as if hee onely had the Spirit of God And Chrysostome pronounceth a terrible sentence against them affiriming plainly that whosoeuer seeketh to be chiefe on earth shall finde confusion in heauen and he that striueth for the supremacy shall not be reputed among the Seruants of Christ. Homily against wilfull rebellion 5 part pag. 308. 309. The Bishop of Rome being by the order of Gods word none other then the Bishop of that one See and Diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intolerable ambition challenge not onely to be Head of all the Church dispersed through the world but also to be Lord ouer all Kingdomes of the world In this point touching the Popes Primacy though the Appealer comes not full home to the tenent of the Church of Rome yet he goeth too far pointeth at a most dangerous course of referring the iudgement of controuersies of faith that concerne the whole Church vnto the Pope Which course if with Master Mountagues good approbation we should take in the great controuersie touching the Head of the Church the Power of the See of Rome the causes of our Separation from that Church and all the controuerted points betweene vs conclamatum esset he that hath but halfe an eye might see what the issue would bee This resolution of M. Mountagu if he hold still it will bee expected that in the next edition of his booke he change the title now prefixed Appello Caesarem into Appello Papam The markes of the Beast were come out in the Pope before Anselmes time and since they are so apparent in him that other learned Diuines make the Pope whole Antichrist and the Appealer himselfe makes him halfe the Antichrist pag. 149. and an entire Apostata from Christ and his kingdome And was there no fitter Bishop in all Christendome to decide controuersies concerning the whole Church of Christ then he who is either halfe or whole Antichrist but of this point see more in the Writ of error Of Antichrist Harmony Church of Rome BEllarmine de Româ—no pontif lib. 3. c. 13. The seat of Antichrist shal be in Ierusalem not Rome for Enoch and Elias are to fight with Antichrist in Ierusalem Ibid. c. 12. Antichrist shall properly come for the Iewes and shall be receiued by them as the Messias he shall be circumcised and keepe the Sabbath for a time Ibid. cap. 18. The frensies of Hereticks are refelled by which they do not so much proue as impiously affirme that the Pope is Antichrist This conclusion is the scope of his whole third book and he and all Papists who haue written of this argument apply themselues wholly to proue that neither the Pope personally nor the Popes successiuely constitute that Antichrist described in the Apocalyps Appealer ANsw. to Gagg page 74. 75. I am not of opinion that the Bishop of Rome personally is that Antichrist nor yet that the Bishops of Rome successiuely are that Antichrist so spoken of App. p. 146. Whether the Pope of Rome or the Popes of Rome either are